Selective roller filing-cabinet



W. F. DREW. SELECTIVE ROLLER FILING CABINET.

A APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1918' 1,375,493.

Patented Apr. 19,- 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- SNI . II III I I Til III Q FI I IH I I IMI H IIIIII IN VEN TOR ATTORNEYS W. F. DREW.

SELECTIVE ROLLER FLLING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1918.

1,375,493. Patented Apr- 19,1921;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I INVENTOR By afij ATTORNEYS NET N T i i SELECTIVE ROLLER FILING-CABINET.

Application filed September 10, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. DREW, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Selective Roller Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of filingcabinets. The object of my invention is to provide a cabinet adapted for compactly and separably containing a plurality of sheets, any one of which may be selectively and conveniently exposed for inspection, examination or display.

The filed sheets may, for example, be maps, drawings or prints of any character, or they may be samples of merchandise, such as curtains, carpets, dress goods or fabrics of any kind, or any other sheet-like rollable articles to be inspected or displayed.

My invention consists in the novel cabinet which I shall now fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of my cabinet.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, broken and partly in section in a plane at right angles to the section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of my cabinet, showing a modification with respect to the double function of the exposure door and inspection table.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, partly broken. of the cabinet of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the mounting of the rollers.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the nu meral 1 indicates the case. In its preferred form, the case is made in sections, here shown as two, the top section 1 removably fitting the main section, by any suitable means, such, for example, as here shown by the tongue cleats 2.

The object of this is to extend the height of the case as desired, by the interposition of other sections, between the main section and the top section.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the exposure door 3 which controls the exposure opening 1 of the cabinet is shown as a simple form of laterally swinging double door, and the inspection table 4 is shown as a common table, moved up close to the exposure door.

Within the case, top and bottom are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Serial No. 253,351.

mounted the shafts 5, which carry near each end the sprockets 6. Over these sprockets the endless side chains 7 are trained. Between and carried by the chains, at any convenient predetermined distances are the rollers 8.

These rollers may be simple ones adapted to be turned by hand, but in practice, they are of the ordinary spring roller type, adapted like shade-rollers to permit the sheet wound upon them to be drawn out and to automatically roll the sheet up when released.

In Fig. 5 I show such a roller with its winding spring 8, and I also show at one end of the roller, a means for conveniently removing it from the chains. These means comprise a pressure spring 9 within a cavity of the roller, a handle member 10 projecting from and playing in side slots 10. in the roller, to compress the spring, and a pinmember 11 normally pressed into a socket member 12 on the chain, by the spring 9.

By pressing the spring back by its handle member 10, the pin-member 11 may be withdrawn from the socket member 12, and thereupon the other end of the roller may be withdrawn from its connection with the other chain.

Upon the rollers 8 are mounted the sheets to be filed and to be exposed as required. One or more sheets may be mounted on each roller.

For example, I have indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, four sheets 25 on one roller, three of the sheets being shown as conveniently disposed of by dropping them down within the case, and the fourth being shown as drawn out and lying upon the table t for convenient inspection or display.

The use of the cabinet is obvious. By opening the door 3, and reaching in, the endless series of rollers may be turned to bring the selected sheet into: proper position. Then said sheet is drawn out over and upon the table 4; for inspection. When the examination is complete, the sheet is released and the spring roller automatically winds it up again, whereupon the roller series may be again turned for selecting another sheet, or the cabinet may be closed up.

In the more practical form of the cabinet, the exposure-opening door may serve the double function of door and inspection table. Thus in Fig. 1, I have by the dotted lines shown a door 13 as a drop door, hinged along the line of the exposure opening bottom. This doorrmay have a leg 13 and by dropping said door down, as shown, it may serve as the inspection table also, thereby doing away with a separate table, such as 4.

This is the simplest form of the idea of the double function of the door.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I show the form which in practice, this device, assumes. The (lOQiI' 14 is a drop leaf which is hinged at 15 at its lower edge to the case. This leaf forms a closure for the opening, but it is provided with an extension leaf 16 hinged at 17 to its outer edge and adapted to drop down in front of the main leaf when the door is closed, as seen in Fig. 4:, or to be extended into line therewith when the leaf is used as a table, as in Fig. 3.

In this operative position the extension leaf, is supported by side swinging brackets 18, one on each side, which are hinged at 19 to the legs 20, the upper ends of said legs being hinged at 21 to the main leaf 1 1, and having hinged at 22 to their lower ends struts 23 which at their other ends have a hinge connection at 24; with the base of the case 1.

26 is a foot rail secured to the back of the legs 20, and 27 is a flap hinged to said foot rail which when dropped down protects the front of the foot rail from being scarred. When turned up, as in Fig. 4:, it turns its own scarred surface inwardly.

Fig. 3 shows these parts extended for use, while Fig. 4: shows them closed up. It will be seen from Fig. 4, that in closing these parts, the brackets 18 are first swung sidewise on their hinges 19, to relieve the extension leaf 16, which is then dropped down to lie against the outer or under face of the main leaf 14. Then, the main leaf 141 is lifted to close the xposure opening, and the brackets, legs and struts follow it up, until each lies in its proper place on the case front, as seen in Fig. 4:. This forms a complete, neat and ornamental cabinet, self-contained and having all the parts required for convenient exposure and inspection of its filed contents.

The vertical extension of the case, due to its sectional character, adapts it for the lengthening of the endless roller series by the insertion of more links in the chains and more rollers.

I claim A filing cabinet for the described purposes, comprising a case having an exposure opening in its front; a door to control said opening and adapted when dropped to serve as a table in front of said opening; an extension leaf hinged to the outer edge of said doaor; legs hinged to the door; struts hinged to the case and to the legs; sideswinging brackets hinged to the legs for supporting the extension leaf; and an endless movable series of sheet-carrying rollers, adapted to be selectively brought into position behind the exposure opening, whereby the sheet may be drawn out from any given roller through the opening and lie on the dropped door for inspection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. l/VILLIAM F. DREW.

Witnesses WM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS. 

